MANILA, Philippines - After months of preparations, Rio 2016 Olympics has kicked off on Friday, August 5 (Saturday in Philippine Time) at the Estadio Maracanã in Brazil with a noble message of promoting peace and protection of the environment. Watch on this page the full video replay and the best photos of the opening ceremony.

#Rio2016 Olympic Cauldron is lit! Photo: Twitter: Olympics

The performances were a flamboyant feast of Brazilian culture with the three main themes: the garden, diversity and joy.

Brazilian film director Fernando Meirelles, the mastermind behind the grand opening ceremony focused on the following: Brazilian talent for making something great out of almost nothing, the beauty of the art produced in Brazil and the search for a new peace on our planet.

The intensely colorful spectacle has included lasers, 3D projections and a cascade of water enveloping the stage.

Among the highlights of the event are the lighting of the Olympic flame and Olympic rings explosion in the sky of the Stadium.

Olympic rings explode in the sky of the Olympic Stadium. Photo: Twitter: Olympics

It was a showcase of 207 competing countries, 12 samba schools who have performed and 35,000 professionals behind the show.

Here are some of the gorgeous views of the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony:

What a colorful stage for #Rio2016 opening ceremony!

The shape of the stage for Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony. Photo: Twitter/Olympics